Electric motor having rotor-embedded sensor
First Claim
1. An induction motor control system comprising:
- (A) an induction motor comprising (1) a stator, and (2) a brushless rotor having a winding, said rotor being capable of rotating relative to said stator, and said rotor having a sensor embedded therein, said sensor being capable of obtaining information pertaining to excitation of said winding; and
(B) a motor control system, said motor control system including a feedback control loop, said feedback control loop receiving said information pertaining to said excitation of said winding as a feedback parameter and controlling further excitation of said winding during normal operating conditions at least partially in accordance with said feedback parameter obtained by said rotor-embedded sensor.
3 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electromechanical device comprises a stator and a rotor which is capable of rotating relative to the stator. The rotor has a sensor embedded therein. In a preferred embodiment, the sensor is disposed within a plurality of laminations that are stacked one on top of another. For example, one of the plurality of laminations may be a sensor lamination, in which case the sensor is at least partially disposed within a cavity formed in the sensor lamination. Advantageously, the sensor may be used to directly measure rotor-associated operating conditions, such as rotor current (including the magnitude, frequency and phase of the rotor current), rotor fatigue, rotor temperature, rotor airgap, rotor flux and rotor torque. The sensor is especially well-suited for measuring current in the rotor of an induction motor.
47 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An induction motor control system comprising:
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(A) an induction motor comprising (1) a stator, and (2) a brushless rotor having a winding, said rotor being capable of rotating relative to said stator, and said rotor having a sensor embedded therein, said sensor being capable of obtaining information pertaining to excitation of said winding; and
(B) a motor control system, said motor control system including a feedback control loop, said feedback control loop receiving said information pertaining to said excitation of said winding as a feedback parameter and controlling further excitation of said winding during normal operating conditions at least partially in accordance with said feedback parameter obtained by said rotor-embedded sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An induction motor control system comprising:
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(A) an induction motor comprising (1) a stator; and
(2) a brushless rotor, said rotor being capable of rotating relative to said stator, said rotor including (a) a rotor core, said rotor core including a plurality of laminations, each of said plurality of laminations having a plurality of apertures formed therein, said plurality of laminations being stacked one on top of another such that apertures of neighboring ones of said laminations are at least substantially concentrically aligned to form a plurality of slots that extend longitudinally through said rotor core, (b) a plurality of rotor windings, said plurality of rotor windings comprising first and second end rings and a plurality of rotor bars, said first and second end rings being disposed at opposite ends of said rotor core, and each of said plurality of rotor bars being disposed between said first and second end rings in a respective one of said slots formed by said apertures in said plurality of laminations, and (c) a sensor, said sensor being disposed within said plurality of laminations, and said sensor being capable of obtaining information pertaining to excitation of at least one of said plurality of rotor windings; and
(B) a motor control system, said motor control system including a feedback control loop, said feedback control loop receiving said information pertaining to said excitation of said at least one winding as a feedback parameter and controlling further excitation of said winding during normal operating conditions at least partially in accordance with said feedback parameter obtained by said rotor-embedded sensor. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of controlling an induction motor having a stator and a brushless rotor that rotates relative to said stator, said rotor including a winding and a sensor, the method comprising:
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sensing excitation of said winding of said induction motor using said sensor;
transmitting information pertaining to said excitation of said winding from said brushless rotor to a motor control system having a feedback control loop;
receiving said information pertaining to said excitation of said at least one winding, said information being received as a feedback parameter for said feedback control loop; and
controlling further excitation of said winding during normal operating conditions using said motor control system, said further excitation of said winding being controlled at least partially in accordance with said feedback parameter obtained by said rotor-embedded sensor. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. An electric motor system comprising:
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(A) an induction motor including (1) a stator; and
(2) a rotor, said rotor being capable of rotating relative to said stator, said rotor including (a) a rotor core, said rotor core including a plurality of laminations, each of said laminations having a plurality of apertures formed therein, said plurality of laminations being stacked one on top of another such that apertures of neighboring ones of said laminations are at least substantially concentrically aligned to form a plurality of slots that extend longitudinally through said rotor, and said plurality of laminations including a sensor lamination, said sensor lamination having a cavity formed therein, (b) a plurality of rotor windings, said plurality of rotor windings comprising first and second end rings and a plurality of rotor bars, said first and second end rings being disposed at opposite ends of said rotor core, and each of said plurality of rotor bars being disposed between said first and second end rings in a respective one of said slots formed by said apertures in said plurality of laminations, and (c) a current sensor, said current sensor being at least partially disposed within said cavity formed in said sensor lamination, and said sensor obtaining a current measurement, said current measurement pertaining to the flow of current through at least one of said rotor bars; and
(B) a motor control system, said motor control system receiving said current measurement from said sensor and using said current measurement to control said motor. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification